Why Shouldn’t I Buy a Flood Damaged Car?

You shouldn’t buy a flood damaged car because it comes with a lot of risks and obstacles. Although the price might seem attractive to a potential buyer, flood damaged cars are almost always troubling at some point, and purchasing one could prove to be a bad investment.

Top Risks of Buying a Flood Damaged Car

You come across an ad that says there’s a used car for sale that has minor water damage. You look at the price and immediately wonder, “why shouldn’t I buy a flood damaged car?” After all, it seems enticing enough and it looks perfectly fine. Trust us when we tell you that looks can be deceiving. Let’s look at some of the risks of buying a car with flood damage.

Safety

At the top of the list of risks is safety. Flood damaged cars don’t often show any signs of physical damage, but can have a lot of internal damage. The problem is the water enters the soft parts of the vehicle. It can cause the car and its working parts to start rotting from the inside out.

By the time the driver is aware of excessive damage it’s often too little too late. A car with flood damage can experience significant problems, from malfunctioning electrical components to airbag system failure. Both could prove life-threatening if the car is being operated at the time of malfunction.

Scams

Water damage on a car is often unnoticeable to the untrained eye and may not surface for several months. Many people try to make a quick buck off their salvage title car and advertise it as having minor damage. This persuades potential buyers into making a deal for what could be a bad vehicle. Since there are no warranties and the seller disclosed that it was a car with flood damage, the buyer has no legal grounds to recover their money.

Trouble with Insurance

Trying to insure a vehicle with flood damage is nearly impossible. There are only a select few insurance companies that offer limited coverage for salvage title cars. This is because the cars are simply too risky to insure.

No Resale Value

A few months from now, you find out that the car with flood damage that you bought was worthless. Selling it would be a quick fix. The only trouble is, no one wants to touch a flood damaged vehicle (except junk car buyers like us at Sell My Car Online). You’ll have a hard time getting what you paid for it, that’s for sure.

Future Repairs

“Why shouldn’t I buy a flood damaged car”? Maybe because there is a higher chance of needing repairs in the immediate future. If the car was submerged in water for a while, there could be damage that has not yet manifested. A month from now, you could find that the engine or the car frame is starting to rust. If the rust is bad enough, it could mean the car is not repairable. This would mean you invested in a car that you only drove a month.

Avoid Buying a Car with Flood Damage

As you can see, in the battle of risk vs. reward, the risks win. To ensure that you don’t end up with a car with flood damage, check out these quick pointers below:

Check under the carpets for mold or rust.

Smell the car for mildew.

Check the trunk and under the hood for mud and debris.

Check exposed screws, around the doors, and under the hood for rust.

Have a mechanic inspect the vehicle thoroughly for any signs of water damage.

Get a car history report before making an offer.

Flood damaged cars are almost always more of a headache than they’re worth. If you have a car with flood damage that you want to get rid of, call Sell My Car Online at (855) 929-0828 for your free estimate.